Swoop says it can't offer flights from Region of Waterloo airport due to deal with Flair
Two low-cost airlines are butting heads over an agreement at the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YFK).
Swoop, which is owned by WestJet, wanted to set up shop at the airport and offer flights to Halifax and Edmonton.
They were turned down due to the airport's exclusivity deal with rival Flair Airlines.
"We’re disappointed that we’re not able to offer service to people in the region," said Swoop President Bob Cummings.
Flair Airlines began operating in the region in early 2021 after agreeing to an exclusivity deal.
The airport’s director, Chris Wood, said he offered the same deal to all Canadian carriers and Swoop did not respond.
"I know Swoop has said that they didn’t bid because they didn’t believe in exclusivity but they could’ve asked us to run the routes non-exclusively and we would have been thrilled with that," he said.
Swoop claims that deals preventing competition is hurting local customers.
"What competition does is it creates the optimal service for a region," said Cummings. "It gives people a choice, and the market ends up deciding who the operator is and what the appropriate level of service is."
Flair said it was willing take the risk in partnering with YFK and said it has paid off.
In an e-mailed statement Flair said, in part: "This is exactly the kind of behaviour that YKF wanted to prevent by providing a time-limited exclusivity on specific markets. It allows an entrepreneurial carrier time to establish a market without WestJet or its puppet, Swoop, dumping capacity and copying the innovator, and then disappearing again when their dirty work is done."
Wood said he's happy with the partnership they have with Flair and admits that the airport's growth and expansion is all thanks to Flair.
"We wanted to give them the opportunity, for a time limited period, in order to really test the market and make sure that it’s viable for them."
MORE: Waterloo Region says arrival of Flair Airlines has boosted local air traffic
An air passenger rights advocate said while exclusivity deals aren't necessarily common, they are allowed.
"I do see this as an attempt to perhaps bully Flair, and more importantly, those decision makers from the airport authorities," said Gábor Lukács.
"This is a big market, so to come in and say that they were bullying people out, I don’t think that’s a fair statement," Cummings said.
Next week, Flair Airlines will find out if its licences will be suspended following a review by the Canadian Transportation Agency due to questions about Flair being Canadian-controlled.
MORE: Federal review threatans Flair Airlines licence
Swoop said they've asked the federal government to void the exclusivity arrangement with the region's airport.
The Region of Waterloo International Airport said they've had several different exclusivity deals with other carriers for the last five years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.